Kylie's all class as ARIAs pay tribute
Kylie Minogue after being inducted into the ARIAs Hall of Fame by Julia Gillard. Picture: Adam Ward Source:The Daily Telegraph
Kimbra and Gotye perform at the ARIAs. Picture: Adam Ward Source: The Daily Telegraph
Music editor Kathy McCabe hits the red carpet for the 25th anniversary of the iconic award ceremony
Wally De Backer tells Iain Shedden why his No.1 song 'Somebody That I Used to Know' was almost scrapped. Video: Christine Nestel
Kylie Minogue and boyfriend Andres Velencoso arrive at the 2011 ARIA Awards. Source: Getty Images
OLD-school grace and glamour from Kylie Minogue highlighted the 25th anniversary celebration of the ARIAs at Sydney's Allphones Arena last night.
With sister Dannii, boyfriend Andres Velencoso and thousands on their feet, Minogue was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame by Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Minogue said she felt "amazement (that) I am still here ... gratitude, humility, wonderment and pride".
After thanking long-time manager Terry Blamey and her mentor Michael Gudinski, she also mentioned her boyfriend, with whom she had graced the red carpet earlier.
"My boyfriend Andres, who is in love with this country ... you've made him feel very welcome," Minogue said.
Her parents, Carol and Ron, stayed at home in Melbourne and watched on TV.
"I invited them, but they don't like to make a fuss," she said.
Music men dominated the night, with folk rockers Boy & Bear winning five ARIAs and unlikely pop prince Gotye the Single of the Year for his hit Somebody That I Used To Know , featuring Best Female Artist Kimbra.
The ARIAs delivered several poignant moments, particularly when Billy Thorpe's wife Lynn and daughters Lauren and Rusty accepted the award for Best Adult Contemporary Album for Tangier, his final album.
Kylie takes swipe at critics
Kylie Minogue has taken a swipe at critics from her early singing days as she was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.
Minogue was famously dubbed a 'singing budgie' when she launched a music career on the back of her popularity in Neighbours almost 25 years ago.
She held back tears on Sunday as she accepted the ARIA from Prime Minister Julia Gillard, and later joked that only now was she fully recognised by the Australian music industry.
"To finally be here and be acknowledged is very nice," Minogue told reporters backstage at the awards.
"Let's just say it's very nice when you do have it and it's not very nice when you don't.
"It's not something I've strived specifically to get but I think it just comes with time and I understand that when I started I had to earn my stripes.
"But I think I've got them now."
Minogue, 43, has sold more than 68 million records, released 11 albums, holds an OBE and enduring popularity in the UK.
With 16 ARIA Awards under her belt, Minogue is one of Australia's most bankable international acts.
Her $25 million Aphrodite Les Foiles tour this year included 76 show in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia.
She was joined in this Hall of Fame this year by childrens' entertainers The Wiggles, who have sold 30 million albums and DVDs across the world.
Actor David Wenham presented The Wiggles with their Hall of Fame award, saying not only are they gifted songwriters, educators and performers, "they've also managed to achieve the impossible: perform onstage in brightly coloured skivvies with no embarrassment".
Red Wiggle, Murray Cook, said they looked up past inductees and the company they are now in is "so humbling".
"We really were just a bunch of four preschool teachers going out and playing music for kids and it just grew and grew," he said.
"We've been playing for 20 years and this has been a great 20th year anniversary for us to get something like this."
He thanked their parents and families and also gave a shout out to former Yellow Wiggle Greg Page, who had to leave the group five years ago due to medical reasons.
"It's great to have Greg up here. Greg's a great friend and collaborator, we couldn't have done it without him," he said.
"He's always in our hearts and he's always on stage even when he's not there."
Wenham said Jebediah, Spiderbait, Architecture in Helsinki and The Snowdroppers were all rushing to cover The Wiggles songs and Cook said he thought it was great that there might now be young bands who grew up listening to them.
"That's great, that's one of the things that I always hoped would happen is inspire people to play music," he said backstage.
Past Hall of Fame inductees include AC/DC, INXS, Slim Dusty, Cold Chisel and The Bee Gees, as well as last year's entrants The Church, Models and The Loved Ones.
Kylie Minogue after being inducted into the ARIAs Hall of Fame by Julia Gillard. Picture: Adam Ward Source:The Daily Telegraph
Kimbra and Gotye perform at the ARIAs. Picture: Adam Ward Source: The Daily Telegraph
Music editor Kathy McCabe hits the red carpet for the 25th anniversary of the iconic award ceremony
Wally De Backer tells Iain Shedden why his No.1 song 'Somebody That I Used to Know' was almost scrapped. Video: Christine Nestel
Kylie Minogue and boyfriend Andres Velencoso arrive at the 2011 ARIA Awards. Source: Getty Images
OLD-school grace and glamour from Kylie Minogue highlighted the 25th anniversary celebration of the ARIAs at Sydney's Allphones Arena last night.
With sister Dannii, boyfriend Andres Velencoso and thousands on their feet, Minogue was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame by Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Minogue said she felt "amazement (that) I am still here ... gratitude, humility, wonderment and pride".
After thanking long-time manager Terry Blamey and her mentor Michael Gudinski, she also mentioned her boyfriend, with whom she had graced the red carpet earlier.
"My boyfriend Andres, who is in love with this country ... you've made him feel very welcome," Minogue said.
Her parents, Carol and Ron, stayed at home in Melbourne and watched on TV.
"I invited them, but they don't like to make a fuss," she said.
Music men dominated the night, with folk rockers Boy & Bear winning five ARIAs and unlikely pop prince Gotye the Single of the Year for his hit Somebody That I Used To Know , featuring Best Female Artist Kimbra.
The ARIAs delivered several poignant moments, particularly when Billy Thorpe's wife Lynn and daughters Lauren and Rusty accepted the award for Best Adult Contemporary Album for Tangier, his final album.
Kylie takes swipe at critics
Kylie Minogue has taken a swipe at critics from her early singing days as she was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.
Minogue was famously dubbed a 'singing budgie' when she launched a music career on the back of her popularity in Neighbours almost 25 years ago.
She held back tears on Sunday as she accepted the ARIA from Prime Minister Julia Gillard, and later joked that only now was she fully recognised by the Australian music industry.
"To finally be here and be acknowledged is very nice," Minogue told reporters backstage at the awards.
"Let's just say it's very nice when you do have it and it's not very nice when you don't.
"It's not something I've strived specifically to get but I think it just comes with time and I understand that when I started I had to earn my stripes.
"But I think I've got them now."
Minogue, 43, has sold more than 68 million records, released 11 albums, holds an OBE and enduring popularity in the UK.
With 16 ARIA Awards under her belt, Minogue is one of Australia's most bankable international acts.
Her $25 million Aphrodite Les Foiles tour this year included 76 show in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia.
She was joined in this Hall of Fame this year by childrens' entertainers The Wiggles, who have sold 30 million albums and DVDs across the world.
Actor David Wenham presented The Wiggles with their Hall of Fame award, saying not only are they gifted songwriters, educators and performers, "they've also managed to achieve the impossible: perform onstage in brightly coloured skivvies with no embarrassment".
Red Wiggle, Murray Cook, said they looked up past inductees and the company they are now in is "so humbling".
"We really were just a bunch of four preschool teachers going out and playing music for kids and it just grew and grew," he said.
"We've been playing for 20 years and this has been a great 20th year anniversary for us to get something like this."
He thanked their parents and families and also gave a shout out to former Yellow Wiggle Greg Page, who had to leave the group five years ago due to medical reasons.
"It's great to have Greg up here. Greg's a great friend and collaborator, we couldn't have done it without him," he said.
"He's always in our hearts and he's always on stage even when he's not there."
Wenham said Jebediah, Spiderbait, Architecture in Helsinki and The Snowdroppers were all rushing to cover The Wiggles songs and Cook said he thought it was great that there might now be young bands who grew up listening to them.
"That's great, that's one of the things that I always hoped would happen is inspire people to play music," he said backstage.
Past Hall of Fame inductees include AC/DC, INXS, Slim Dusty, Cold Chisel and The Bee Gees, as well as last year's entrants The Church, Models and The Loved Ones.